THE VOICE OF LARA CROFT - JUDITH
GIBBINS
Tomb Raider
II (1997) Tomb Raider III (1998)
The person
behind the voice of Lara Croft is Judith Gibbins. Originally
from Derbyshire she had no idea how big the Tomb Raider
series would be. Judith, 36, doesn't have much in common
with her other half, Lara Croft.
Lara has guns
and runs people over with a snowmobile, while Judith
drives a Ford Sierra and her best weapon is her wit.
Judith, of Ilkeston, Derbyshire, preserves Lara's image
by never making a personal appearance.
"The following
in the US is incredible," she said. "People believe
she exists. In Atlanta I did a voice-calibrated question-and-answer
session, with me sitting behind a screen showing a digital
image of Lara. The most common questions were 'Will
you marry me?' and 'Can I have a date?'"
Judith had
a limited script in the earlier versions of the game,
her biggest line probably being the phrase most feared
by devotees: "No, that's not right. Go back to the beginning
and try again."
But she has
much more to say in Tomb Raider III, which features
lengthy dialogue sequences between each of its 21 levels.
Core Design spokesman, Susie Hamilton said: "We wanted
an upper-class accent with character, a strong but sweet
voice. Judith's was just right."
While her 11-year-old
son David attempts to master Lara's moves on his Playstation,
Judith still has a tough time proving her Lara link.
"She has such a sexy image that people don't believe
me when I say I'm her," she said. "I have to say something
to convince them. 'Go back to the beginning and try
again' has become a party-piece."
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